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[lislander]

If an offer is to come, would I hear first informally from the hiring department and then more formally from HR, or is the first contact for an admin. position offer made in the formal offer by HR?  I'm skipping the details but long story short, I've had a phone & campus interview and based on that experience I'm expecting an offer and it's past their own deadline for getting back to me - I'm wondering if I haven't heard back because HR has to contact me and the wheels at HR turn very slowly.  Anybody have an idea of how slowly?

[madhatter]

Most likely the hiring department, but not always.

Wasn't that helpful?

[simplesimon]

It is foolish of you (or any job candidate) to “expect” an offer.  You have no way of knowing what the applicant pool looked like, how many people they are considering, or what changes are taking place behind the scenes that the search committee has no control over (a slashed budget for example).  Even if someone on the committee tells you that you are their first choice, that person may not speak for everyone, or she may not have the power to implement her preference.  The position you interviewed for could have the funding cut, the position may suddenly need to go a spousal hire, or the president’s niece may suddenly want that job . . .

The fact that it is now past their deadline for getting back to you underscores my point.

You do yourself no favors by expecting an offer.  You interviewed for the position.  Wonderful.  Now, move on.  If they call you, great.  If they do not, you have already moved on.

[lislander]

Sigh.  I expected a response like this.  I am not naive and know all the unexpected budget etc. factors that can come into play.  My question was simple:  how the HR/hiring process works.  If you have no information on that, then do not reply.  Do not read into my question anything else, because you have no facts about the situation. I don't intend to provide them.  Please take your hostility elsewhere.  And if you didn't intend it as hostile or patronizing, then you need to take a second look because that's the way your reply comes across.
madhatter, thanks for your reply.   It is indeed useful to know what the usual and outlier scenarios are.

[der_gadfly]

lislander:

depends on the institution. Sometimes the HR department makes the initial offer, sometimes it is the hiring manager. The whole process of hiring in this 'industry' is highly fupped duck as it is, and there seem to be no rules or guidelines that can be used for guidance.

Bottom line, if you 'expect' an offer, change your approach. Be READY for one, but if their deadline has passed (by more than a few weeks, you are not the #1 candidate. They simply do not want to tell you that they have made another offer until #1 (and maybe #2 or 3) have turned it down before they tell you "gee thanks..., but no thanks".

[irhack]

Have they checked your references? I'd call my references and ask. You can expect an offer after they have checked your references... in my limited experience it unfolds as you say -- you get an informal offer from the dept and the formal letter (don't give notice at your current job till you get the letter) from HR. However, tracking down references can take forever and definitely push them past their own deadlines. It might be worth checking in if you're sure to make sure they were able to contact all your references. One time one of mine was simply never able to be contacted (I sure crossed him off my list after that) and I had to give them another name instead.

[michigander]

I've worked at 9 institutions (including graduate student, P-T, and adjunct positions), received offers from more, and served on search committees at 5 of them.  In every case, the initial offer was made by the hiring supervisor, even if the committee was chaired by someone else.  YMMV.

[sibyl]

In one and only one case I received an offer from HR.  In every other case I received an offer from the supervisor.  It would be unusual for HR to make an offer but not unprecedented.  In other words: what der_gadfly says.

There are an infinite number of factors that delay institutions from making offers before internal deadlines are reached -- and because they are internal deadlines they aren't all that rigid anyway.  The answer is the same:  You can't control it, so don't try, and don't try to figure out what it means.  Move on to something else, and then when they call it will come as a surprise.

Good luck.